Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Valence

For one person, living is cheaper in Valence: $1,584 a month against $2,206 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Lisbon, Portugal
Valence, France
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,206
/mo nomad
Valence
🇫🇷 France
$1,584
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Valence

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Valence actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon versus $1,584 in Valence.

  • Lisbon $2,206
  • Valence $1,584

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Lisbon versus $2,331 in Valence.

  • Lisbon $3,276
  • Valence $2,331

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $3,079 in Valence.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Valence $3,079

Living in Lisbon is roughly 39% more expensive than in Valence, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 63% above, Valence 17% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Valence
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.86 €15.00
$13.25 €11.79
27.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.0 €54.3
$39.48 €35.13
54.61%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.98 €9.77
$9.35 €8.32
17.43%
Cappuccino
$3.05 €2.71
$3.71 €3.30
-17.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 €2.03
$3.01 €2.68
-24.25%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 €1.50
$2.02 €1.80
-16.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.44 €3.06
$5.62 €5.00
-38.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.91 €3.48
$4.60 €4.09
-15.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Valence
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 €1.02
$1.09 €0.97
5.50%
White Bread (500g)
$1.89 €1.68
$1.10 €0.98
71.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 €1.34
$2.30 €2.05
-34.78%
Eggs
$4.12 €3.66
$3.67 €3.27
12.26%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.01 €11.57
$18.73 €16.67
-30.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.04 €7.16
$14.13 €12.57
-43.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.89 €15.92
$25.29 €22.51
-29.26%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$2.95 €2.63
-23.05%
Banana (1kg)
$1.74 €1.55
$2.39 €2.12
-27.20%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.82 €1.62
$2.95 €2.62
-38.31%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.69 €2.39
$3.98 €3.54
-32.41%
Potato (1kg)
$1.77 €1.57
$2.35 €2.10
-24.68%
Onion (1kg)
$1.94 €1.72
$2.88 €2.56
-32.64%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.30
$1.75 €1.56
-16.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.76 €0.68
$0.21 €0.19
261.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.66 €5.92
$13.94 €12.41
-52.22%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.64 €5.02
$3.38 €3.01
66.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 €1.15
$3.41 €3.03
-62.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.90
$2.64 €2.35
-18.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Valence
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.30 €2.05
$1.60 €1.42
43.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.02 €39.17
$22.79 €20.28
93.15%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.98 €3.54
$3.68 €3.27
8.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.64 €0.57
$1.22 €1.09
-47.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.93 €16.84
$35.32 €31.43
-46.40%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$2.23 €1.99
2.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.4K €29.7K
$34.3K €30.5K
-2.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K €34.3K
$39.1K €34.8K
-1.54%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Valence
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 €141
$141 €125
12.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.54 €15.61
$11.18 €9.95
56.89%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.18 €27.75
$28.02 €24.94
11.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Valence
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.64 €39.73
$27.66 €24.61
61.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.98 €16.89
$16.82 €14.96
12.84%
Cinema Ticket
$9.58 €8.52
$13.74 €12.22
-30.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Valence
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$674 €599
$743 €661
-9.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.7K €16.7K
$11.3K €10.1K
65.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Valence
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €90.9
$78.7 €70.1
29.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.90 €40.85
$65.2 €58.0
-29.57%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 €91.0
$105 €93.4
-2.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 €109
$177 €158
-31.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Valence
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,641 €1,460
$608 €541
169.68%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,187 €1,057
$522 €464
127.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,825 €2,514
$842 €749
235.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,018 €1,796
$725 €645
178.43%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,836 €6,973
$3,071 €2,733
155.18%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,701 €4,183
$2,679 €2,384
75.49%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Valence
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,687 €1,501
$2,585 €2,300
-34.74%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.82
3.81
0.26%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Valence: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Valence
$522 56.1% $666
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$275
Valence
$361 31.4% $86
Eating Out
Lisbon
$245
Valence
$236 3.8% $9.2
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$207
Valence
$180 12.9% $27
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Valence
$192 14.4% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Valence
$55 13.6% $8.7
Getting Around
Lisbon
$60
Valence
$39 35.5% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,641 in Lisbon and $608 in Valence. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Valence pays 53% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61 in Lisbon vs $39 in Valence. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $361, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇫🇷 Valence
🕒 Local time
22:25 10:25 PM
23:25 11:25 PM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
64,483
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Valence 1,350 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Valence

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Lisbon vs Valence: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Valence?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,206 in Lisbon and $1,584 in Valence, so Valence is about 28% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Lisbon. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Valence?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,641 in Lisbon versus $608 in Valence. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Valence?
Childcare runs $674 in Lisbon versus $743 in Valence. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 24% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is feasible on a $1,500 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,500. Valence is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Valence?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Lisbon or Valence safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Valence are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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